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500 miles of UK inland waterways uncovered

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Inland Waterways Association LogoNew research from the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) has revealed a total of 7,000 miles of waterways in Great Britain; 5,000 of the miles identified are navigable today, with the other 2,000 miles either derelict or under restoration.

An additional 500 miles have been uncovered which come, in the main, from including more significant branches of the Grand Union Canal in the London area and further research in Scotland. IWA’s Waterways Directory is a waterways resource that details all the inland waterways ever brought into navigation and has been updated with detailed research by IWA experts and local volunteers. The research informs the charity’s local campaigning and sprung out of the need to know who was responsible for what waterway. The directory lists Continue reading “500 miles of UK inland waterways uncovered”

Are your containers fit for purpose under the CTU Code?

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TT Club's Mike Yarwood
TT Club’s Mike Yarwood

At a time of container supply imbalance leading to shortages, international freight transport insurer TT Club warns against cutting corners when it comes structural integrity, cleanliness and cargo-worthiness of those that are loaded and complying with the CTU Code. The responsibilities of container operators providing empty boxes and those packing them with cargo should not be forgotten in a period when such equipment is in short supply and temptations to forego security and safety measures are strong.

Containers have numerous touch points in any given supply chain, becoming the responsibility for shorter or longer periods with a variety of stakeholders. During these unprecedented times, TT’s continued message to all parties is one of resilience and continuity of robust practices. This challenging period, for those reliant upon the container, provides an opportunity to reflect on the roles and responsibilities defined within the Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTU Code), as well as the necessary safety properties of a container and its suitability to carry its intended cargo. Continue reading “Are your containers fit for purpose under the CTU Code?”

Zero emission Seaglider concept being explored by Brittany Ferries

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The new Seaglider concept from Brittany Ferries
The new Seaglider concept from Brittany Ferries

Brittany Ferries is exploring the potential for a new high-speed, sustainable, and more efficient form of ferry travel called a seaglider. According to the company, the concept which is a combination of a hydrofoil and flies like a plane, yet classed as a vessel, could provide the comfort and convenience of a ferry at greatly increased speeds.

Drawing on the concepts for wing-in-ground effect vehicle (WIG) advanced by Soviet and German engineers in the 1960s, a Boston-based start-up REGENT (Regional Electric Ground Effect Nautical Transport) is developed a modern, all-electric, WIG that could become zero-emission flying ferries according to Brittany Ferries. REGENT expects the first commercial passengers to travel on smaller electric craft by 2025.

Continue reading “Zero emission Seaglider concept being explored by Brittany Ferries”

Paris MOU updates the list of white, gray and black lists to be adopted from July 2021

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The new 2021 Paris MOU Lists of flag states have been published
The new 2021 Paris MOU Lists of flag states have been published

The Paris MoU on Port State Control has updated its White, Gray, and Black lists and, from 1 July 2021, the 27 national maritime administrations that are parties to the agreement will be using an updated version of the list in targeting ships for inspections.

For several years the Paris MoU Committee has closely monitored the performance of recognized organizations (ROs), mostly classification societies acting on behalf of flag States. To calculate the performance of ROs, the same formula to calculate the excess factor of the flags is used. A minimum number of 60 inspections per RO is needed before the performance is taken into account for the list. In 2020, 32 ROs were recorded on the performance list.

Continue reading “Paris MOU updates the list of white, gray and black lists to be adopted from July 2021”

With a life span of 25 years what is to be done with decommissioned turbine blades?

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The turbine blades lined upThere is no clear strategy of what to do with decommissioned windfarm turbine blades that are set for scrapping. At the moment one environmentally disastrous option is landfill, and industry body WindEurope has recently called for a Europe-wide landfill ban on decommissioned wind turbine blades by 2025. Europe’s wind industry actively commits to re-use, recycle, or recover 100% of decommissioned blades. This comes after several industry-leading companies announced ambitious plans for blade recycling and recovery. A landfill ban would further accelerate the development of sustainable recycling technologies for composite materials, says WindEurope.

Continue reading “With a life span of 25 years what is to be done with decommissioned turbine blades?”

Failure or accidental release of the lifeboat hooks can be fatal

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Lifeboats are designed to save lives, but over the years there have been many serious casualties that have occurred during drills, routine maintenance operations and inspections of davit suspended boats fitted with on-load lifeboat release hooks. These accidents have also resulted in seafarers losing confidence in the lifeboat launching systems. Continue reading “Failure or accidental release of the lifeboat hooks can be fatal”

Regulation falls under the spotlight as technical experts gather for Red Ensign Group Technical Forum

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Regulation falls under the spotlight as technical experts gather for Red Ensign Group Technical Forum
Regulation falls under the spotlight as technical experts gather for Red Ensign Group Technical Forum

Maritime experts from across the Red Ensign Group are gathering online on 16 and 17 June in what is expected to be the last meeting before it receives its mandatory audit. The Red Ensign Group Technical Forum will meet to discuss technical regulation and how it affects the work of the British Shipping Registers.

Representatives from Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey and the United Kingdom are attending the event.

With the International Maritime Organization’s Member State mandatory audit of the REG members expected before the end of this year, much of the event will focus on the work being done by the REG to be ready for it and to ensure that the result of the audit shows the REG’s continued leadership on maritime matters. Continue reading “Regulation falls under the spotlight as technical experts gather for Red Ensign Group Technical Forum”

MCA to carry out unannounced inspections of fishing vessels

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MCA to carry out unannounced inspections of fishing vessels
MCA to carry out unannounced inspections of fishing vessels

Surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency are to carry out unannounced inspections of fishing vessels across the UK. The unannounced inspections are being carried out as part of ongoing work around fishing vessel safety in an industry recognised to be one of the most dangerous in the world.

Since November 2020, there have been eight deaths –that’s more than ten per cent of the total for the previous ten years. Between 2011 to 2020, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), reported 60 fatalities from UK fishing vessels. The MCA says it has worked solidly with the fishing industry, reinforcing the messages about the requirements of legislation around standards of safety for crew and for vessels. Surveyors regularly carry out surveys and inspections of fishing vessels and detain those that do not meet the requirement of the law, until those deficiencies are corrected. Continue reading “MCA to carry out unannounced inspections of fishing vessels”

AMSA to consider Conception fire NTSB findings when reviewing commercial vessel regulatory requirements

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Photo credit: Ventura County Fire Department - AMSA to consider Conception fire NTSB findings when reviewing commercial vessel regulatory requirements
Photo credit: Ventura County Fire Department – AMSA to consider Conception fire NTSB findings when reviewing commercial vessel regulatory requirements

Following the NTSB investigation into the fatal fire and loss of the passenger vessel Conception off California in September 2019, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has identified key points of concern for Australian vessels. As a consequence they have said it will consider the NTSB report in full when reviewing the current domestic commercial vessel regulatory requirements, including the standards for fire safety and accommodation.

The US-flagged passenger vessel Conception was at anchor off Santa Cruz Island, California, when a fire broke out in the early morning hours of 2 September 2019. Five crew members were asleep in the crew berthing area on the upper deck. One crew member and all 33 passengers were asleep in the bunkroom below. Continue reading “AMSA to consider Conception fire NTSB findings when reviewing commercial vessel regulatory requirements”

Greek customs authorities acknowledge rights of UK yachts to retain EU VAT status

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Greek FlagFollowing a complaint formally made to the European Union (EU) by the Cruising Association (CA) on the post Brexit VAT Status of UK yachts in Greece after returning from outside EU waters, the latest announcement received from the Greek Customs authority acknowledges the rights of UK yachts to return to Greek waters and retain their EU VAT Status.

Greek customs authorities have announced on 3rd June 2021 that, following a request to the EU Commission for clarity on this matter, they have followed EU advice and will allow UK yachts returning from non-EU Countries to regain their Union Goods Status, provided they return within three years under the same ownership, with no changes to the vessel. Continue reading “Greek customs authorities acknowledge rights of UK yachts to retain EU VAT status”

MAIB’s Annual Report 2020 published

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MAIB's Annual Report 2020 published
MAIB’s Annual Report 2020 published

“I am pleased to introduce MAIB’s annual report 2020. It was another busy and successful year for the Branch improving safety at sea by our sustained output of safety investigation reports, safety digests, and safety bulletins despite lock-down conditions affecting work for much of the year. The Branch raised 1,217 reports of marine accidents and incidents and commenced 19 investigations in 2020,” said Capt Andrew Moll in his opening statement.

In 2020, the MAIB published two investigation reports into the collapse of container stacks on large container ships, both of which were transiting the North Pacific Ocean in heavy weather at the time. Such accidents are challenging to investigate due to the multiple inter-related factors involved and that critical evidence could be lost overboard during the accident. There have been more accidents involving Continue reading “MAIB’s Annual Report 2020 published”

Report published on the a fatality due to improper crane lifting

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Report published on the a fatality due to improper crane lifting
Report published on the a fatality due to improper crane lifting

Belgium’s FEBIMA has published an investigation report into the fatality of a crew member onboard the general cargo ship ATLANTIC PROJECT II while in the Port of Antwerp in February 2021. The investigation stressed that the contingency plan on crane lifting operations was not fully implemented.

On February 8th, 2021, stevedores were unloading the MV ATLANTIC PROJECT II while moored at the Port of Antwerp. When tween-deck cargo hold N°3 on PS was empty, the tween-deck pontoons had to be removed by the ship’s crew, using ship’s gear, to allow access to the cargo stowed below.

After the first pontoon was hoisted and moved using the ship’s crane to its stacking position at the aft part of the Continue reading “Report published on the a fatality due to improper crane lifting”

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